Standing His Ground: Greer (Porter Brothers Trilogy 2)

“Woman, that stringy ass wasn’t even good enough to eat. What does that have to do with you pretending to be someone else and contacting me to talk?”

“I’m trying to explain! Right after you killed him, you went inside to shower before you took Diane out. You didn’t care that I was crying. You just went on your merry way. The next day, Diamond and I were joking around during our lunch hour. She was trying to cheer me up. We were looking at the singles in our area, and your picture came up.”

“Why were you searching men in our area to cheer you up?”

“I don’t know. We were just bored, I guess.” Holly refused to give him the details that she had confided to her friend—that she had feelings for him, that it was the idea of him dating and becoming serious with Diane that had been the most upsetting.

“Go on.”

“Anyway, when your picture came up, Diamond clicked on it and messaged you.”

If his face hadn’t been frightening before, it was now.

“Has she been the one I’ve been talking to?”

“No! She just did it that first time. I was the one who answered. We always did it at lunch time, but gradually …” Holly took a small puff of air, trying to catch her breath. “Then I kind of started talking to you on my own. She didn’t even know I was still talking to you until a few weeks ago.”

“Why did you keep talking to me?”

“I don’t know.” She clenched her hands in her pockets.

“Don’t fucking lie to me.”

She glared at him. “Because on the computer, you’re half-decent to talk to. It’s only in person you’re mean.”

“I ain’t mean.”

This time, he was the one receiving the look he had given her.

He rubbed the back of his neck as he started pacing back and forth. “All of this started because of a fucking joke.”

Holly felt terrible. “I was going to tell you tonight.”

He stopped pacing. “Were you? Were you just going to stop talking to me?”

The guilty thought flashed across her face. It was what she had intended before he had taken her out to Rosie’s. From his angry expression, she didn’t think he would believe that she was about to tell him on the dance floor.

“So, what are we going to do now?”

“What do you want me to do? You want me to be the one to tell Dustin and Tate that I was the woman you’ve been talking to?”

“Oh, hell, no. They’d never let me live it down that I was catfished by you.”

Holly flushed.

“You don’t want me to say anything?” she asked, dumbfounded. She had thought he would enjoy humiliating her in front of his family.

“You’re going to keep your trap shut, and I’ll tell them I quit talking to Kentuckygirl.”

She leaned back against the wall in relief that she was getting off so easily. “Thank you, Greer. It would have been so embarrassing. Dustin, Tate, and Rachel would have never let me talk to Logan again. I’m so—”

“Save your apology. You’re not getting off that easily.” His cold voice told her that he wanted retribution.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve had me dancing to your tune for months. It’s my turn now.”

Holly paled. “I don’t understand.”

“I’ve been looking for a wife. You’ll do.”

“Are you insane? I’m not going to marry you!”

“Why not? You think if Dustin finds out you catfished me, he’d ever let you near Logan again? Do you think Diamond would get hired for another case if it came out she was involved?”

“She wasn’t involved! It was only that one time—”

“How do I know that? I’ll make sure to spread it around town she took part. How do you think Knox would deal with his wife being a laughingstock around town?”

Holly knew how he would deal with anyone gossiping about Diamond. He would kill them. All the time she spent working to pay Diamond back for placing her trust in her would be for nothing.

“I can’t marry you,” she whispered.

He didn’t look away. He would do it. Without a shred of mercy, Greer would destroy her world.

“Okay, you win.”

“Now you’re using that brain of yours.”

Clenching her hands, she stabbed her nails into her palms to keep herself from scratching that smug look of his face. Then she started to leave the room, only to see him unbuttoning his shirt.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting undressed.” Greer unbuckled his belt.

“I’m not—”

Greer’s cell phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket. “What in the hell do you want?”

He didn’t seem happy at whatever the person was saying on the other end of the phone.

He looked down, pressing a button on his phone. “Knox wants to know if he needs to come over?” Giving her a mocking look, he didn’t seem concerned about her answer.

“I’m fine. I don’t need you.”